Pull-fashioned hosiery



March 1, 192 7. 1,619,199

H. EVANS ET AL FULL FASHIONED HOSIERY Filed May 12, 1924 Iig-lfig-Z- /f /f l5 3/ 2/ INVENTOR. W W M Y- 9144/4 firofivs,

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUMPHREY EVANS AND HERBERT E. HEILBRUNNER, F MILVIAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

ASSIGNORS TO HOLEPROOF HOSIERY (30., OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A COR- PORATION OF WISCONSIN.

FULL-FASHIONED HOSIERY.

Application filed May 12,

This invention relates to improvements in full fashioned hosiery.

A circular-knitting machine provides the least expensive way of knitting hosie y; but hosiery of the full fashioned type is not ordinarily knit on said machines, but can be by using the machine in a back and forth movement.- Furthermore, the hosiery knit on the above mentioned or other types of knitting machines, require a seam to be formed underthe bottom portion of the foot, which is very objectionable.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome the above mentioned objectionable features and provide as a new article of manufacture, full fashioned hosicry in which the seam at the bottom of the foot is eliminated and the hose is knitin a single integral piece so shaped as to permit one portion to be sewed to another to form the complete stocking.

A further object of the invention is to provide full fashioned hosiery as an article of manufacture, in which the bottom portion of the foot and heel are connected to the toe portion and the two portions are then connected together along the opposite sides and the heel of the hose in forming the complete hose.

A further object of the invention is to provide full fashioned hosiery in which the knitting of the heel portion is first commenced with the minimum number of needles and the number of needles is gradually increased to form the sole or bottom portion and the sole and instep, and then gradually further increasing the number of needies to increase the width of the material to form the leg portion.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved full fashioned hosiery and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a side View of the knitted blank used in forming the improved article of manufacture p Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side View of a completed hose; and

1924. Serial No. 712,593.

Fig 4 is a rear detail view of the ankle portion of the hose.

Full fashioned hosiery is usually knit on a reciprocal knitting; machine, but as this form of knitting is comparatively expensive, it is more desirable and less expensive to knit hosiery on the circular knitting niachine, and in shaping; the hosiery on a circular machine. it is customary to form the upper portion of the leg; of the stocking with a loose stitch which is gradually tight sued in forming the ankle and foot portion. The tight knitting is not desirable. as not suiiicient flexibility is provided. and in use the hose will be stretched out of shape. Furthermore, in circular work the ankle portion of the stockinn'cannot be made small enough due to the fact that in the knitting the same number of needles are used as in the lee; portion. and tightening up the knittino: to reduce the diameter shows too much contrast with the leg; portion which is loosely Therefore. it hasbeen the practice to forth movement to form the upper angular heel pointportion 5 of the hose. The number of needles is now gradually increased to gradually widen the heel portion until the heel acre 6 is reached, and at this point pick and drop needles ofthe machine form the heel gore lines 6 to provide a fullness for1ning the heel 7. The knittingnow continues in straight parallel lines 8 to form the sole or bottom portion of the foot. Toe gores 9 are now formed to provide the toefullness 10 and the knitting is continued in straight parallel lines 11 to provide the instep or upper part 12 of the foot and at the points 13 additional needles are gradually added to gradually increase the width of the material to form the ankle part 14, theedges 15 of which are adapted to be sewed to the angular heel point portion 5.

At the points 16 the knitting continues in straight parallel lines for a short distance to complete the ankle portion, and is then gradually increased in width, as indicated by the numeral 17, to form the calf or leg. portion of the hose. The upper end portion of the hose is knit in straight parallel lines 18 to form the upper portion of the hose. The edges of the blank are all selvage edges and the blank thus tar described forms one of a continuous line of blanks and when separated the selvage edges of one side of the foot and the lower edge of the ankle portion are sewed together, as indicated by the numeral 21,111) to the edges 16 and the corresponding edges on the other side of the hose arelikewise sewed together to the point ot the heel andtrom said point the sewing is continued to the top of the hose, as indicated by 20. The sewing together of the leg'portionsilforms the V-shapedspace 19 for receiving the angular pointed heel part 5. The selvage edges of the pointed heel part which are sewed to the selvage edges of the anklepart on both sides of the ankle and foot portions by seams 21 extend to. the toe portion-otthe hose; thus eliminating the bottom seam and forming the seams on opposite" sides of the foot. The upper portion 221 of the hose is now preferably overlappedinwardlyand sewethas at 23, to reinforce the upper end of the hose.

'l he tapered selvage edges of the blank when sewed together,form the curve of the calf of the leg and the ankle, and provides a one-picce full fashioned shapely hose of desirable and attractive appearance, which may beeasily manufactured. on. the circular knitting. machine.

From. the. foregoing description, it will be seen that the full fashioned hosiery provides an article of manufacture: well. adapted for the purpose described.

What we claim. as our invention is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a hose having. seamless toe and. heel portions and consisting. of a leg. portion, an ankle portion, atoeportion, a sole portion and a heel: portionit'orined from an integral piece of knitted material in which the sole. portionis integral with: the upper portion. at the toe to form aseamless connection: therebetween atthe toe, a. longitudinally extending seam joining the edges of the leg portion together from the ankleto the upper end of the hose, and diagonally extending branch. seams extending on opposite sides of the hose from the lower end of the longitudinal seam and along the opposite sides of the foot to points spaced from the end of the toe to join the portions together and eliminate seams from the toe and heel portions proper and. thebottom portions of the sole.

2 Asa new article.otmanutacture, a hose consisting. on asingle piece of knitted material havingportions oinedtogether by a 1011- gitudinally extending rear leg portion seam and which scan'i divides diagonally at a point above the rear portion of the heel and the branch diagonally extending seams extend on opposite sides oi? the heel and sole nn-lions to points spaced, from the end portion of the toe in joining said heel and sole portions to the other portions to form a seamless construction atthe end of the toe and the lower portion of the heel.

3. its a new article of manufacture, a. hose consisting ot a leg portion, an ankle portion, a toe portion, a sole portion and a heel portion formed from. an integral piece o'l" knitted. material in which the sole portion is integial with the upper portion at the toe to term aseamless construction therebetween at the toe, a longitudinally extending seam joining the edges (it the leg portion together :lromthe ankle to the upper endo'l the hose, and diagonally extending branch seams extending on opposite sides oi? the hose from the lower end of the longitudinal seam to points spaced from the end of the toe to join the sole and heel portion to the other portions.

l. As a new article 0t manu'tactnre, a hose consisting of a legportitm, an ankle portion, a toe portion, a sole portion and :r heel portion termed from an integral piece of knitted material inw-hich the sole portion is integral with the upper portion at the toe to form a seamless construction therehetween at the toe, said piece o'l material having selvage edges, a longitrulinally extending seam joining the selvage edges of the leg and ankle portions togethe at the rear from the ankle to the upper end ot the hose, and lnanclr seams exteinling on opposite sides oli the hose l ron'i the lower end of the longitudinal seam to points spaced from the end of the toe to join the selvag re edges of the sole and heel to the selvage edges of the lower portions ot the stocking, the connection between the upper portion ot the heel and the ankle being of inverted l iliormation.

5. A. stocking having a tapered heel knit with a selvedge edge and a foot portion formed in bottom and top half sections seamed along the sides from the toe to the heel, gore, the ankle portion being :i'ormed with a tapered selvedge edge oil. a; corrc sponding taper to the heel and seamed to the tapered heel, and the leg portion being seamed up the back.

6. ll. stocking having a tapcredheel knit with a selvedge edge and a foot portion formed in; bottom and top halt sections seamed along the sides from the toe to the heel gore, the ankle portion being enlarged by a gradually increased number ot stitches to the row producing a selvedge edge, the loops oi the stitches oi the diverging Fabric oi the ankle portion being connected. with the loops of the stitches of the. tapered heel by a seam, and the back of the leg of the stocking being seamed together.

7. A full fashioned stocking having the foot portion formed in top and bottom half sections formed in a continuous Web of fabric connected at the toe, the longitudinal edges of the said sections being joined in a suitable seam, the heel section of the lower half tapering upwardly to a point and the 10 leg portion being increased in Width by the gradual addition of stitches in the course, the tapering leg portion being seamed to the tapering heel portion and the leg above the ankle being shaped by having increasing numbers of stitches in the course to form the desired shape.

In testimony whereof, We afiix our signatures.

HUMPHREY EVANS. HERBERT E. HEILBRONNER. 

